Okay, I think I call this chapter the turning point. And…I'll leave my comments at that. Again, Thank you for reading and I would love to hear from you.

Chapter 9

Into Darkness

It wasn't until the sun began to slink below the cityscape that the heat finally tapered off. Ellie sat on the couch, her head resting against it back, staring up at the ceiling. Her arms were draped across her stomach, a substandard shield against the bevy of emotions that refused to just leave her be. The air in the room was still, the sounds of the street outside soft and muddled.

She felt nothing. Her eyes were heavy from crying, but she was all cried out now. There wasn't a tear left in her body for her to expel.

It was unforgivable, what she had done. Hurting someone like Steve. He was the only person on the earth she truly cared about. She only ever wanted to protect him, make him happy, see him smile...And she had hurt him. She had severed his trust. The one person...

Will it ever be the same? She wondered, dropping the question into the empty well of her mind. No answer came. Not even an echo. Ellie cursed herself for the hundredth time since the clock had struck seven. She didn't know what to do. She had never been in a relationship long enough to care for someone in this way. She had never been a part of a fight in which she cared for the feelings of her opponent. All she knew for certain was that it was far from over. She didn't know what would come next. Would there be healing? Would there be more words? Would he ever be able to look at her again?

Ellie jumped to her feet, frightened by the slew of answers that were stirring in her head.

I can't...do this. I just...

She had to get out of the apartment. She knew how cowardly it was, to shrink away and hide, but the very thought of seeing Steve again was too much. She looked around the living room. It seemed so much bigger to her now. Everything inside of it, every picture, every piece of furniture seemed to be doling out grave accusations directed at her. She could almost hear their voices pestering her, shouting strings of How dare you? and Be gone!

There wasn't a person Steve met that didn't fall for his unintentional charms and old fashioned decorum. The little barista Sara in the coffee shop down the street. Mr. Goldsmith, the pharmacist at the corner store. The landlady, Mrs. Ross. What would they say if they knew of Steve's heartache?

Run me out of town I bet. Ellie thought. It's what I would do. If anyone would dare hurt...

Ellie thought of Loki then. And the night in Germany. She could hear the screams of the pedestrians and patrons echoing in her ears. But Loki's voice was louder. The Soldier.

She could see the flashes of gold and green and red and blue. It was a memory she couldn't stand to see, but try as she might she just couldn't shake it away.

She hurried into the bathroom and turned the faucet on. Not even the gushing water could block out the voices in her head. She leaned down, letting icy water flood her cupped hands. Dipping her head even lower she flushed her reddening eyes with water. Gazing at her own reflection, Ellie had never been angrier with herself. She wanted to turn away, but she was lost to her own accusatory glare.

You just stood there, Ellie. Watching them fight. Why didn't you step in? You just stood there and watched Loki beat-I did nothing. I didn't protect him.

She tried to shake the thought away, but it was persistent.

It's my fault. Ellie thought, a fresh wave of guilt wracking her brain. Godammit. For all your words...you can't even act on them. You're just a liar.

Look at the mess you've made. Everything was...perfect and, now...it'll never be like that again.

Her guilt, her shame, and her anger were becoming dangerously combative.

I have to get out of here. Go for a walk, clear my head.

Tearing herself from the reflection in the mirror, she hurried to the closet. She pulled a pair of cropped navy trousers from a hanger and stepped into them. After pulling a thin grey sweater over her t-shirt and slipping into a pair of black flats, she made her way to the door.

As she held tightly to the handle of the door, she looked over her shoulder down the entry hall.

It's already changing. She thought morosely. Turning her back on it, she left; hoping that, when she returned, the healing would have already begun.

Escaping the apartment had done nothing to settle Ellie's restless spirit. This was Brooklyn after all. Steve's home. His everything.

As an Upper East Side girl, Ellie had never ventured into Brooklyn until Steve had come along. Everything she knew of the streets she knew because of Steve. She could feel his presence painted on every sidewalk, hanging from the trees in the park, even loitering in the shop windows.

An evening chill was beginning to creep in now, the sun having almost completely disappeared. The sky was colored a peachy yellow, spots of darkening clouds littering the skyline. The moon, a sliver of a crescent, was already visible. Ellie gazed up at it, wishing she could see the stars. The starry skies always brought her comfort. They served as a tender reminder that even in great darkness, there lived speckles of shining light.

Dragging her gaze away from the sky, Ellie continued down the street.

I don't even know where I'm going anymore. She was well and truly lost, never having ventured off this far. At least not without Steve.

Her rarely romantic imagination, most often stirred by more violent mood swings, kicked into action once more. The picture was so clear in her head. If she continued to walk down the street, soon enough she would hear the gentle roar of Steve's bike. Turning to look over her shoulder she would see him there, a forgiving and ever-empathetic smile on his face. They would exchange pointed apologies and she would climb onto the bike, every nasty thing left in the exhaust.

Just like a movie. She thought, her sorrow giving way to melancholy. A real shit cheesy movie.

If you want a movie, another voice in her head called. Why don't you run to him?

Ellie jolted to a stop. Of course.

Why didn't she? Why didn't she just turn on her heel, find her way back home and tell Steve how much she cared for him. How much she loved him.

I never did say it did I? Steve, I love you. I never said it to him.

It wasn't an excuse. It wasn't a reason for him to release all of his anger. It was just the truth. Plain and simple.

Even if he never forgives me. Even if he says he doesn't...love me back. I have to say it. I just have to-

She pivoted, knowing that the apartment was somewhere behind her, anxious to find Steve waiting for her back in the apartment. But her trek came to an abrupt end when she crashed into a body that had been walking up behind her.

She would have gone crashing to the sidewalk, if the man hadn't gripped her shoulders and kept her steady.

"I-I'm so sorry," Ellie muttered, left dizzy by the sudden impact.

The man, a typical city dweller, didn't even bother to mutter a response. He simply set her straight and continued on his way. Ellie steadied herself, brushing her hair out of her face and continued on her way.

Wait.

The stranger she had almost bowled over. He was no stranger at all. Ellie realized that she knew his face.

It's him. Oh god, it's him. The man who had shot the alien. The one who had saved her life. He was wearing the same clothes as before: the tailored suit, the sleek dark aviators.

Ellie was sure of it. His face, as he screamed at her to run away, was seared into her mind's eye. She was sure he had ended up dead. But there he was, bumping into her on the street.

Ellie spun around, searching for him in the crowds of pedestrians. Thankfully, he had not gotten very far. He stood at the street corner up ahead, waiting for the opportunity to cross.

"Wait! Sir!" Ellie called. She pushed past several other trying to catch up. The light flashed green and he crossed the street. Ellie rushed to catch it.

Once she had crossed the street, she could see that he had already reached the end of the next block. Running now, she yelled for him again. It seemed he heard her this time, because he stopped. However, just as he was turning to answer her call, a voice in the back of Ellie's head screamed:

Stop.

She stumbled, confused by her instinct, but heeded its call anyway. Before the man could peer over his shoulder, she had ducked into an alley to her right. Pressing her back against the wall, she snuck deeper inside.

Why did I...?

When her mind did catch up to her instinct, it presented a horrendous thought.

He's from SHIELD. He's a SHIELD agent, Ellie. He's dressed just like the ones that accompanied the doctors yesterday and this morning. He's wearing the same suit. The same glasses. He…he was wearing it that day too…Wasn't he…

Her heart plunked into her stomach. What if they're looking for me? SHIELD. The Germany video...Everything Loki said. There were plenty of witnesses...And…

Fearing the worst, Ellie slunk deeper into the alleyway, ducking behind a dumpster.

...What if Steve had gone to SHIELD?

Ellie's hand clutched her chest, her heart shivering painfully at the thought. She didn't want to believe that Steve would do such a thing, but she had read his file. She knew him. He was duty bound, never once relenting in his loyalties.

And I lied to him. I betrayed him. I was with Loki...he could have...told SHIELD.

Her association with Loki was nothing but incriminating. She was there in the club when Loki had attacked, hoping to bring a swift end to Captain America's return. She was an accomplice.

Gulping, Ellie peered past the dumpster. Night had come now, the last of the light slipping to another side of the earth. She blinked in the shadows, trying to see if anyone had followed her into the alley.

There was nothing there, save for some trash cans and broken down pieces of a rusty old bike.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ellie straightened up again and ventured out from behind the dumpster.

All of a sudden, something heavy collided with her chest and she was sent flying backwards into the wall. Her head smacked against the brick causing her vision to mar under the strain of hundreds of colored dots. They floated in front of her like a swarm of angry insects.

With her senses stunted, she could do nothing when she felt something wrap around her arm and drag her to her feet. The grip didn't loosen instead she could feel her arm being pulled painfully behind her back. Ellie grunted, her head a mess of stinging pain. She struggled to find her footing.

Scream Ellie! She thought, becoming desperate. Why don't you scream?

While she tried her best to muster up enough air to scream, she was fighting to draw even a small breath into her lungs. Before she could do anything, both of her arms had been pinned behind her. She realized he had linked them together using only one of his arms; as easily as if she were a ragdoll.

Finally, Ellie thought she could manage a good, loud scream. But it was much too late. A large hand encircled her throat. Its grip was not terribly strong but firm and the noise died in throat.

Ellie tried pushing him backwards into the wall, but she could hardly match his strength. She resorted to thrashing, trying to wiggle herself out of his grip.

She could hear ragged breaths by her ear. "That's it, struggle yourself tired."

She stopped her thrashing immediately and gasped for air. She sucked in terrified, shallow breaths. Trying to escape could only hurt her now so, fighting against every bone in her body, she went limp in his grasp.

"That's a girl." The voice whispered by her ear. He adjusted his grip on her arms, tightening his hold and straightening his own posture. "Now, I want you to listen to me very carefully."

He released his grip on her throat, fingers ghosting by the side of her jaw, running up and into her hair. Using a fistful of her ginger hair, he pulled her head to the side. Ellie gasped as a few threads were torn from her scalp. She could feel his chin by her neck and his hot breath in her ear.

"I will release you momentarily. You are going to take my hand and follow me. I don't want to hear a single sound leave that mouth of yours. If I do, someone else will die. Any one unfortunate enough to be walking down the street. Understand?"

Ellie's head fell back against the man's shoulder in utter defeat.

What could she do? He was so much stronger than she was. And though she wasn't convinced he was a SHIELD agent, she knew that going where he lead her could only lead to bad things. But could she risk another life? No. Not after Michael. She had worked so damned hard to keep that boy alive. She would be damned if another person died because of her own selfishness.

What other choice do I have? She thought. Steeling herself, she nodded.

He released her from his grasp, pushing her away from him with a murmur of disgust. His move was so forceful, Ellie plummeted to the ground. She braced herself, her palms stinging with the sudden contact of the hard, cold concrete.

Pushing herself onto her knees, still gasping for air, she looked up at him.

It was the same man from before, there was no mistaking it. He had the same thick dark hair and broad, square jaw. He had pocketed his sunglasses and, even in the evening dark, Ellie could see his eyes were cool and entirely calm. He towered over her, hands crossed over his chest, waiting with tangible impatience.

Trying to keep herself composed, Ellie reached out to her left. One of her flats had slipped from her foot during the struggle. She grabbed her lost shoe and, never breaking eye contact with the stranger, slowly pulled herself up off of the ground. Wobbling on one foot, she slipped the shoe back into place.

Her mind was racing, cursing at herself for leaving her phone in the apartment. She had nothing on her save for her clothes.

She expected him to lunge at her again, but he just stared. Stared right through her. His brow was furrowed and there was a lost, distant look in his black eyes. Ellie tried to read whatever was swimming there, but she could not read him. Confusion…doubt…sadness? Her brain was still swirling from the suddenness of it all and her head was pulsing with pain. She couldn't string together an articulate thought. All she could register was her fear.

After their tussle, he wasn't even breathing hard. His lips were pursed shut and he almost looked frozen.
She clawed at her hair, trying to push it out of her face. Several auburn strings stayed stuck to her forehead from the sweat that pooled on her skin.

Looking towards the mouth of the alley, she wondered if she should risk trying to yell. As she was about to let out the only good scream she could muster, a man and woman walked by. A little girl walked steps ahead of them. She was swinging a small, glittering purse about. Her cheer was too much, however, and it slipped from her grip and fell to the ground. The toddler waddled over to catch it, her parents watching proudly. She giggled, and the sound of it reverberated off the walls of the alley. Ellie's dark eyes fluttered shut, her heart dropping into stomach.

"How sweet…" It seemed the commotion the little girl was making had roused the stranger from his thoughts. Ellie jumped at the sound of his voice, stepping away.

The man held his hand out expectantly.

Ellie stared down at his hand. If she took it, he would hold tightly and she knew she wouldn't be able to get away from him. But...what other choice do I have?Hesitantly, she relinquished her own, placing it in his. His fingers tangled in between hers and he pulled her nearer. He brought his other hand up to her face swiftly and Ellie, thinking he meant to hit her, tried desperately to pull away.

His grip on her hand tightened painfully as he caught her chin with the other.

"Stay. Still." He whispered viciously. He dragged his thumb over her bottom lip. Ellie hissed as she was made aware of a new sting. It seemed her bottom lip had split in the struggle; she could feel the twinge of pain as his thumb grazed over the cut, wiping the small stream of blood away.

"Can't have you looking a mess now, can we?" He said, his voice chillingly serene.

Ellie glared at him, his words sparking the fire in her belly. Her fear was beginning to waver. If she had enough strength she would have bashed his head into the wall by now. But she was no fighter and she knew better than to try.

He pulled his hand from her face and guided it towards the mouth of the alley. "Come along, now. And remember, not a sound."

Still mocking her, he lifted his finger to his lips. E

He took one step forward and pulled her roughly behind. Ellie stumbled, but soon caught up with his long stride. She had only one thought on her mind.

Where is he taking me?

Every ounce of willpower Ellie had to her name was being put to work. She was desperate to call for help. However, as the stranger led her onwards, she was met with the faces of her fellow New Yorkers. Dozens of them.

They pushed their way through the Sunday night crowds, like salmon swimming upstream. It only frightened Ellie more as she realized that they were heading in a direction no one else wale was. Away from any public space. With each step, her panic stretched.

If I don't do something now…there may not be a chance.

The words clawed at her throat, anxious to be pushed out and turned into sound. But every time they slunk further upwards, Ellie's thoughts turned to Michael and guilt pushed the words back down.

He pulled her into another alley, his pace picking up.

Soon they arrived at his destination. Ellie looked past his shoulder, several feet ahead, lay the other opening to the alley. In the gray light of late evening, she could see the ocean. The smell of salt and machinery was thick in the warm air.

We're by the docks. She realized.

While Ellie contemplated what this could mean, the stranger slipped a key from his pocket and jammed it into the keyhole of a very nondescript iron door. The grating sound of metal upon metal raddled Ellie from her thoughts.

Panicking, Ellie dug her heels into the ground.

"No," She cried, fear swallowing her volume. "Let go-"

She couldn't be sure he even heard her, so concentrated was he. He pulled her into the building, stepping behind her and moving to push her down a narrow set of metallic stairs. Thin, neon lights lined the stairwell, offering only a small bit of unnatural light.

Ellie, not wanting to know what lay waiting down the stairs, spun around and pushed against his chest with all the strength she could muster.

But he was so strong, yielding not even an inch despite her adrenaline riddled struggles. He hardly blinked not uttered a single sound of discomfort. Instead, with a troubled sigh, his hand touched her waist and corrected her path.

"Let go!" Ellie cried, much louder this time. "Stop! You can't-"

She was hopeless to overpower him and he dragged her, thrashing and screaming down two more flights of stairs. The further down they travelled, the more the paltry lights flickered. Another door awaited them at the bottom of the staircase. Unwinding his arm from her waist, he pulled the door open. Gripping her shoulder, he pushed her inside.

His foot catching hers, Ellie plummeted to the floor. She landed on her hip, her head hitting the ground with a sickening crack.

She whined, tears stinging her eyes. His boot came down on her hip, keeping her stuck to the ground.

Carefully, she brought her hand up to the side of her head, feeling for the wound. She could feel no blood, but she winced as her fingers brushed against the tender, swelling skin.

Abandoning her pulsing head, Ellie turned her attention back to the person who had attacked her. She could barely make out his face. The room he had brought to her was without light. Small cracks of crooked light peeked into the room from behind him, but his tall, wide form blocked out most of it.

With her eyes slow to adjust, Ellie could only make out his silhouette. As she stared up at him, he cocked his head to one side.

She could see his eyes, but she could feel them boring into her like spotlights. The seams of her composure were beginning to fray under the silence which grew heavier and heavier until she could bear it no longer.

"What?" She spat, releasing a flood of anger and fear.

He said nothing; only lifted his foot from her side. Stepping back, he lowered himself down to his haunches.

"So," he said, reaching forward and tugging on a lock of her hair. "This is the mortal. The…almost Queen."

Mortal? Ellie thought. Oh god.

Her stomach turned sour as she realized. The man was not a member of SHIELD. Somehow, the was about Loki.

"Who are you?" Ellie said, her mind slow to keep up with everything that had happened.

Even in the faint flickering light leaking from the stairwell, Ellie could make out a small smile teasing the man's lips.

"I believe the correct question is…what am I?" He said, rising tall and thrusting his hands into the pockets of his trousers. His face was stony and cold, but his voice relayed a sliver of amusement.

He didn't speak again, as if he were waiting for her for pose the question. When she didn't, he simply shrugged.

"While I have adapted the form of a human, I am not a member of the race." He said, spitting the word human as if it were poisonous to his lips. "I am merely a being capable of commandeering any creature I wish to control."

"You're one of those things." Ellie said, her voice raw as flashes of the alien creatures that had rained down from the sky just two days past ran through her mind.

"No," he said.

"Then what are you?" Ellie snapped, tired of his games.

"The name of my race was lost long ago. There are only a handful of us left alive. And it is for those reasons that we are known simply as…The Others."

The Others. Ellie thought, a shiver running up her spine. In all her time spent with Loki, he had told her of many creatures. But never had he spoken of any creatures called Other.

"You must be very frightened." He said, rather softly. All manner of threat was gone now and for a single second Ellie believed he sounded apologetic. She stayed rooted to the ground, unsure she could manage to move much with the unrelenting pounding in her head.

"You're probably wondering why this is happening to you? Or perhaps…what it is I intend to do to you?"

Again, Ellie refused to answer. The fear she had managed to cram into her belly was quivering and building again.

"What is your name?" He asked. His voice was commanding, but thoughtful.

He doesn't know? Ellie thought.

"Ellie." She said, her voice cracking.

"Ellie," He repeated so quietly she wasn't sure he had said it.

"Ellie," He repeated slowly, the sounds pouring from his mouth as thick as tar.

"What do you want with me?" Ellie ventured.

"It is not what I want from you," He said, his voice dimming. "It is what I have been tasked to do.

"The god of mischief was contracted by my master." He said. "He did not deliver what he promised. He must pay the price for his grievous failure."

He stopped and looked down at her again.

"Loki, however, has been taken back to Asgard, a realm not even my master can hope to breach. And yet, his debt must be accounted for…"

"…in one way or another."

"You're going to kill me." Ellie breathed, fear seeping from her stomach and filling her to her brim.

"Oh no," he said, shaking his head as if mildly appalled by the idea. "No, to kill you would not be payment enough, I'm afraid."

Ellie blinked, no longer able to hold back a wave of angry tears.

"You're going to hurt me." She whispered, horrified.

"Yes," he said, without hesitation or pity. "Quite terribly at times, I imagine."

"If you're trying to draw him out," Ellie said, "It won't work he won't come."

The man, or rather the shell of a man, held his hand up to silence her.

"Do not bother wasting your words. You fate has been decided."

Ellie felt her stomach turn violently in her gut. Her hands turned to fists and she bit down hard on her lip, the pain of it keeping her grounded.

"It is very important, Ellie," He said, stepping back. "That you understand fully the nature of your captivity, the purpose of it, and most importantly, the absoluteness of it." He stopped his pacing to stare down at her again.

"I have come to this realm for one reason." He said, his face grim. "I am here to break you down Ellie,– you need to understand that." Her name sounded crass and low on his lips. "You can forget your pleading this instant because there is no other outcome possible here. You will not leave this place with your sanity intact."

His words hung in the stale air, leaving Ellie speechless and terrified beyond comprehension.

"However," He said, back up and stepping out of the room. "Before I begin, I have several matter of business to attend to."

He placed his hand on the door and Ellie realized he meant to shut her away.

"I know what you're doing!" Ellie cried out, trying to stop him. "I'm not afraid of the dark."

"No," he said, his mind far away, already in another place. He considered her words for a fleeting moment, before disregarding them as he had with all the others.

As the door fell shut, he left her with four final words.

"But you will be."

I would love to hear from you, your thoughts on this turn of events. Of course there would be consequences for Loki's failures…